Apply for Financial Aid

Overview

Recognizing that college costs are a legitimate concern to many students, Bridgewater College commits significant institutional resources for grants and scholarships. To assist as many students as possible, the aggregate of institutional funds for an individual student is restricted to an amount equivalent to tuition and fees. Institutional grants and scholarships apply to institutional costs associated with undergraduate enrollment during the academic year and exclude summer school. The Financial Aid Office coordinates resources provided by the college, state and federal aid programs to provide a substantial and varied program of financial aid.

Both returning and new students may submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2012–2013 academic year no sooner than Jan. 1, 2012 and the priority deadline is March 1, 2012. Applications submitted after March 1 will be processed as long as funds are available. The FAFSA is also the approved application for need-based institutional and state financial aid programs. The Financial Aid Office begins releasing aid packages to prospective students after March 15 on a rolling basis. Returning students receive their aid packages after June 15.

How to Apply

To apply for financial assistance for the 2012-2013 academic year, you must submit the 2012-2013 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the federal processing center. Include our school code 003704 on your application.

Submit an electronic application at FAFSA on the Web.

If you submitted a 2011-2012 FAFSA, see Renewing Financial Aid.

Who Should Apply

Bridgewater College encourages degree-seeking students to apply for financial aid each year of enrollment. Virtually all students are eligible for some form of financial aid.

There are even aid programs for students who do not qualify for assistance on the basis of financial need.

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in exploring your financing options.

When to Apply

• January 1, 2012 is the earliest date allowed to submit the 2012-2013 FAFSA.
  
  
• To receive priority consideration for all types of need-based assistance at Bridgewater College, you must submit the 2012-2013 FAFSA by March 1, 2012.

Funding for some programs is not affected by this priority deadline. So, if you miss our deadline, file your FAFSA as soon as possible.

Where to Go for Help

If you are trying to complete your FAFSA and are finding the instructions to be confusing, contact us. Often, one of our financial aid staff members can provide a quick answer to put you back on the road to completing your application.

The Department of Education's Funding Education Beyond High School is an excellent source of information about federal financial assistance. It may contain the answer to your filing questions.

Your Student Aid Report

What is a Student Aid Report?

After the federal processing center completes the analysis of your 2012-2013 FAFSA, they will send you a Student Aid Report (SAR). How you receive this depends on how you filed it:

• If you filed the FAFSA online and provided an email address, you will receive a SAR Information Acknowledgment with access information for your SAR online.
• If you filed the FAFSA by mail, or did not provide an email address online, you will receive the SAR by mail.

The SAR includes important comments about your analysis along with the information from your FAFSA. Read it carefully!

My Student Aid Report was rejected.

If the processor rejected your application, the letter will inform you of what you need to do next. Contact us with any questions you may have about this procedure. We cannot determine your aid eligibility until we receive a valid analysis for you. Your prompt action in providing the processor with more information is vital.

My Student Aid Report is incorrect.

Review the Student Aid Report to make certain all the information is correct. For instance, if you reported estimated income figures on the original FAFSA and the actual figures are different, you should make the appropriate corrections, sign the SAR and return it for reprocessing at the address provided on the SAR. Feel free to contact us with any questions concerning corrections.

Bridgewater College is not listed on the SAR.

If Bridgewater College is not listed on your Student Aid Report, we will not be able to determine your eligibility for aid. In order to have the analysis sent to the Financial Aid Office, contact us. We will need to know your DRN number, located near the top of the first page of the Student Aid Report. We will send a request to the processor to receive your results.

Everything on the Student Aid Report is correct.

If everything on the SAR is correct and Bridgewater College is listed as a school to receive the analysis, then no further action is required concerning the SAR. It is simply your record that the analysis was completed and sent to BC.